Transient Fireworks
by Natarii-loves-Chocolate-milk
Summary: "Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies didn't make it this year" she mused. "Hikoboshi- Sama probably doesn't like it much either" Sasuke replied. Song-Inspired Fic. A SasuFemNaru Threeshot.
1. First Festival

**サスケ & ナル コ**

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><p><strong>TRANSIENT FIREWORKS<strong>  
><strong>~ う た か た 花 火 ~<strong>

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><p>Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the clouds released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. "Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies didn't make it this year" she mused. "Hikoboshi- Sama probably doesn't like it much either" Sasuke replied. Song-Inspired Fic. A SasuFemNaru Threeshot.<strong><br>**

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><p><strong>FIRST FESTIVAL<strong>  
><strong>~ 最 初 祭 ~<strong>

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><p><em>The festival at the end of August<br>__was filled and crowded with people;  
><em>_I wore a yukata and put on wooden sandals,  
><em>_Making those clicking and clacking sounds.  
><em>_When the two of us looked up at  
><em>_the fireworks that suddenly went up,  
><em>_I quietly stole a glance at your face  
><em>_as you watched in a trance._

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><p>Naruto wished the sound of her sandals clattering on the promenade would make less noise as she darted amongst the people heading for the festival.<p>

_'Clik-clak-clok' 'click-clak-clok'_ it drew heads in her direction before she even passed their owners. It wasn't her fault she was late! Her brother had held her up, gushing over her outfit and cooing about _'Ickle-Nawuto-chuan's'_first date.

Then he'd thoroughly embarrassed the both of them with another lecture about _'appropriate first date hanky-panky'._ Which really wasn't necessary since she had been dating since her second year of middle school, and her current boyfriend wasn't exactly a stranger to her body. They just hadn't gone that far yet. It was their first _actual_date though...

The talk was still embarrassing though. It wasn't like she didn't appreciate the brotherly love, but Kyuubi sometimes forgot he wasn't her father sometimes. Then again, he might have made her late deliberately. She never had understood how Kyuubi's mind worked properly. Only his girlfriend Fuu seemed capable of that.

Finally she reached the pier, and glancing around the waterfall just before the wooden pathway stared branching across the ocean, she caught sight of her date. Sasuke Uchiha – Sasuke freaking Uchiha. Ino and Sakura had been _spitting_ mad when they first started going out, but they lived with it, apparently glad it was her rather than some _'hussy'_(in Ino's words).

When she told them he'd invited her, they hadn't failed to help her with the girl stuff. It had taken a lot of scouring the shops to find something that she was happy with, but like true friends they hadn't failed her. It had required a little sewing and desecration of a sale's bin yukata, but Naruto could safely say she looked good tonight.

She was wearing a black skirt, and a short, blue one sleeved yukata with black edging. The obi on her waist was yellow, and the bow tied over it at her back a pale orange hue. A variety of thin metal bracelets littered her wrists, along with a crystal necklace from her grandmother on her neck.

She'd given her hair a bit of a trim so it was neater than usual, but it was still fastened into her usual, lower-back-length bunches with a couple of thin black hair-ties. She had a pair of blue leg-warmers on her legs, but her black meta may have to be exchanged for some plain ordinary flip flops, her feet _seriously_hurt now thanks to the running (hence why she'd brought them, just in case).

She had a bit of make up on too, so foundation to cover up the scratches from the car crash that had killed her parents, a bit of clear vanilla gloss, and some mascara and eye-liner for the smoky eye thing.

"I'm sorry I'm late! My brother was being weird and fussy, but I made it…" Naruto apologized, pausing to catch her breath and sneak a glance at her date.

He was wearing a pair of plain red surf shorts, a pair of flip-flops, and a black shirt with one of his wooden surf necklaces, and multiple earrings and ear chains. He'd also forgotten to button his shirt up. She was so interested with the skin that was showing that she almost missed the well-controlled blush on his cheeks.

She didn't miss it though, so she was grinning like a fool when his fingers grasped her own and lead her down the pier to the festival stalls.

Sasuke was a year older than her. He had already graduated that year and was looking for an electrician or engineering apprenticeship. She still had a year of school left, but Konoha Art School were already interested in her work. They had asked if she would consider them at the exhibition the art club held during the last school festival.

That was where she had met Sasuke. They didn't really mix much in school, but he'd always liked her paintings since she joined in her first year. It was only at the start of her second year they had really started talking though. Which had led to flirting, then some making out in the art supply room several few months ago. Now it was their first _real_date, at the Tanabata festival no less.

She didn't really know why they hadn't been on a date before, but she wasn't complaining either. At least Kyuubi had let her out of the door. He always gave Sasuke a sour look, even if they got along pretty well. She had half expected him to lock her up, or something equally extreme.

It really made no sense, since _she_ wasn't the virgin in the relationship, something Kyuubi knew full well. Frankly, Itachi was the brother who should be watching out for the younger sibling's purity (though Naruto snorted at the thought of Sasuke having any kind of _'purity'_). Then again, Itachi was always asking Sasuke (much to his embarrassment) if he'd _'popped his cherry yet'_so maybe not.

They started the night with some friendly competition; a game of Obake Karuta which she won with some good matches of a Tanuki, Bakeneko, Fuujin, and last but not least, the Kitsune Tamamo-no-mae as her final matches (Sasuke's only quick matches were Kirin, the Yamata no Orochi, and Raijin in the whole thing).

After that, was some goldfish scooping, which she failed at miserably due to lack of patience with her poi. Sasuke had much more success, and kindly gave her the three he succeeded in capturing, claiming they would only be eaten by his deranged cat Madara. Naruto pressed her lips against his own in thanks, and enjoyed laughing when he flushed bright red.

Of course, that meant she had to run a way when his pride flared up in anger, but she enjoyed being chased by him all the same to the selection of potted bamboo trees at the end of the pier for Tanzaku-writing.

They would be set afloat and burned when the fireworks started, and both of them had something to hang on the wooden stalks.

There were several things she could have written on her own scrap of paper – family health, good grades, success, but she didn't really needed that. There was something else she wanted, but thinking ahead to the end of the year...

She was hesitant to write it at first. She did write it eventually, but she was in two minds to whether or not it was worth pinning to the bamboo. She was almost grateful when Sasuke asked her to go get a bottle of water from one of the stands.

Folding the paper and handing it to him for safekeeping, she went to the stall in question as Sasuke hung up his own Tanzaku. Returning, he took a grateful glug of the drink, before she stole a few sips herself, grimacing at the bland taste. She didn't like water much, but she needed something to clear her mind up.

"Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, mid sip, and followed his incredulous gaze to the water bottle. Realising her mistake, she made a show of tasting something foul and wiping her mouth, before hanging her own strip of paper on the bamboo.

"Bleargh... Where's the Kakigori stand? I need something decent to get rid of that water taste!" she asked, before dragging Sasuke in the direction he had pointed out to her.

Since when was Naruto Uzumaki worried over things like wishing paper? If she wanted something, she'd get it herself rather than rely on the gods. Not that she meant the gods any disrespect; she just trusted her own judgement a little better was all.

Especially when it came to her boyfriend. That was her belief at the start of the evening. The ending would be very different to her expectations.

* * *

><p>They played various other games, and even ran into a couple of people from school (like Ino and Shikamaru, the latter being bullied into most of the couple's activities by the looks of things), before heading for the food stalls.<p>

"You brought a costume right? Sasuke asked as they sat at the temporary Ichiraku booth consuming ramen.

Naruto nodded; that part of the invitation had confused her, but she had a towel and swimming costume in the bag now settled beside her stool. It had kind of weirded her out for a bit, but Sasuke had assured her that it wasn't him being creepy, so she had humoured him and brought a bikini. Though what it was for at this time of night was anybody's guess.

"In that case, we should get going before the masses do" he said, finishing his bowl of the broth and setting the disposable bowls and chopsticks in the nearby rubbish bin.

"What? But they haven't even had the fireworks or song yet!" Naruto protested, glancing mournfully at the musicians stand and bamboo pots at the end of the pier.

"We won't miss them – I just don't want to be caught up with the crowd for it" Sasuke replied, leaning against the stall as she hurriedly finished her ramen.

The moment her bowl was in the bin, she took her by the hand and started leading her by the hand through the crowd.

He stopped four times; at a snack stand selling taiyaki and takoyaki, at another that sold some sort of fruit juice, and at one selling senbei where he picked up a backpack from his grandparents, and deposited the food inside it.

The last stop was on the other side of the bridge by the other promenade so she could go to the toilets and change into her swimming costume.

It was an orange halter-neck thing with decent straps (rather than the stringy ones Ino liked) that merged into the top and a pair of short-style bottoms, both with a black polka-dot pattern. After tying a dark maroon sarong on her waist she had joined him outside again, and he' led her down to the beach itself.

She'd long since switched to her flip flops, but even they were beginning to annoy her feet. Sasuke was ignorant as they walked along the sand until she had to stop and flex her foot muscles a bit. Then he realised something was off.

"You ok?" he asked.  
>"Huh? I'm fine" she replied; she wore heels often so the aches she was currently experiencing were almost insignificant compared some she'd experienced.<p>

She started to walk with him again, but after a few more minuets of covertly watching her feet, he stopped and dropped his backpack onto the floor, along with the bags of goldfish.

"Sasuke?" she asked, pausing in puzzlement.  
>"Get on" Sasuke ordered, pointing at his back with the jerk of a thumb.<br>"Eh? Why?"  
>"Why do you think? Your feet hurt right?"<p>

Naruto blinked once then clambered onto his back – if she was heavy Sasuke had the good grace not to say so. Instead he gave her his backpack and the goldfish to carry as he adjusted the position of his hands. In fact, it felt like...

"...are you groping my ass?" she asked as Sasuke started walking again.

She didn't really mind (they'd gone further than a few gropes when they were home alone lately) but there better ways to grope her ass right? You'd think a self-admitted pervert like Sasuke would know better...

"I'm a guy – of course I'm groping your ass. I'd rater go for your boobs personally, but they're out of reach, so your ass'll have to do for now" Sasuke replied, a slight tease in his tone of voice, squeezing her ass again as if to prove his point.

Naruto laughed, and wrapped his neck around his shoulders, and kissed him on the cheek before leaning her head against his neck as he plodded over the sand.

* * *

><p>After perhaps another fifteen minuets travel along the beach, Sasuke set her down on the sand and took back his backpack. They were at the edge of the beach, just as it started to curve around onto the bay, and to go any further was impossible thanks to the rocks...<p>

Unless she was to follow Sasuke's lead and wade into the water after him, and go around them that way. She guessed it explained the need for a swimming costume, but she didn't really see what it had to do with the festival. They were pretty far from the pier now...

"Don't worry about the rocks – I checked it out a few nights ago first, and they aren't jagged or anything" Sasuke called back, hoisting himself onto one of the rocks protruding from the inshore tide.

Shaking the pondering thoughts from her mind for the moment, she followed the path Sasuke had just taken, taking his hand when he helped her up onto the rock he was standing on. Following him trough a sea arch that had formed in the cliff and down onto some lower rocks, she recognized their location.

They were directly below the part of the town where the new wind farm had been built. Sasuke hopped down off the rocks and back into the water, hand still in her own. Once down herself, she let him lead her through some more before they finally arrived at a beach.

Despite being the start of July, the water had been freezing at this time of night, and it made her foresight of packing a towel all the more prudent. Sitting down beside Sasuke in her childish old kiddie-anime towel, she glanced around, wondering if something was supposed to be happening.

Fishing his own towel from his bag, he pulled her in front of him, leaning his head on one shoulder as he wormed his arms around her waist. She half expected him to grope her, but the arm that rose was only so he could check the time on his wristwatch.

She was about to ask what he was waiting for, when the loud screech of a rocket whistled overhead, before exploding into a shower of cracking sparks above them; the waves below glittered the reflection of the first firework, just as the musicians started back on the festival side of the bay.

Lips parting in awe, she turned to stare first at her boyfriend, then the cliff above them as the rest of the fireworks were blasted into the air, their sparks crackling merrily even as they faded, the traditional festival music drifting over the waves.

"You sappy idiot... How did you know where they were going to be set off?" Naruto asked, kissing her boyfriend on the lips several times as she did so.

"Itachi helped organise the display this year – I just promised to do his share of the chores for a couple of weeks" Sasuke grinned, pressing his lips into her own and running his tongue against them.

Not getting any complaints from her, he dragged his hands down her sides, pulling her onto his lap and pressing further into the kiss. Just as she was reaching her hand to the soft fluffy spikes of hair at the back of his neck (in other words, when she was beginning to care more about Sasuke's tongue than the fireworks) he pulled back.

With a peck on the nose, he moved so she was sitting between his legs again, her back against his chest, watching the fireworks exploding overhead. Sighing in momentary irritation, she relaxed, leaning back into his hold as she watched the explosions of colour above them.

The display only lasted for half an hour, but if felt like much longer, much shorter too. She wasn't really sure. She just knew something was going on. Even for the secretly romantic sap that he was, this was more effort than she had expected for Sasuke for a first date. He had another motive, she was sure of it.

"Naruto... I have to tell you something..." Sasuke said haltingly, several minuets after the fireworks had fallen silent and the scent of gunpowder had started to linger in the air.

Naruto stiffened in his arms, but bade him to continue anyway; she _knew_something was off... Sasuke was silent, seemingly searching for the best words to tell her what he had to in. then he found them.

"I got a place on an electrician's apprenticeship. The letter came through a few days ago, and it's completely unconditional but... It's in... It's in _Lightning…_"

Naruto gripped the arm around the front of her shoulders a little harder. Lightning County was three whole counties away. Fairly large ones. Visiting wasn't exactly within walking. It was more like a _plane journey_away.

This was exactly what she had been worried about earlier, when she was standing in front of the bamboo; Sasuke was graduating this year, and while Konoha's University had a very famous Art section, did not have the courses that applied to trades like electrics and engineering that Sasuke wanted to pursue. She knew he would have to leave if he wanted to go study it properly.

It had just been a matter of time until she heard it from him. She didn't _begrudge_him for it – she would do the same thing herself if Konoha Art School wasn't so good – but she knew she didn't have it in her to really, really maintain a long distance relationship.

Well, maybe she'd be able to talk and things over the phone and through texts, but not being able to see him in person at all wouldn't be good. She wouldn't be able to stand it. It_had_ occurred to her that she could just go to an art school near Sasuke's place of study when she graduated, but Konoha Art School really was one of the best. She'd be stupid to leave when they were asking _her_ to consider _them_.

It wasn't just her either – Sasuke was not the biggest conversationalist in the world. He had a phone, and an email account, but he never had any credit on his phone, and it was always on silent, so actually getting hold of him was hell on earth. He didn't have enough contacts to have a regularly full inbox, so that went untouched for weeks at time sometimes too.

She was sure he'd _try_in the beginning, just like she would, but... they just weren't cut out for a real long distance relationship, and they both knew it. She was stubborn enough when they had an argument already, and Sasuke wasn't that different, even if he was pretty sweet most of the time. Get on his bad side, or if something went wrong, and he could be the biggest bastard on the face of the earth.

"...I haven't decided yet. There are other places that are close that I can-"  
>"You <em>want<em>to go" Naruto interrupted.

The silence and stiffening of his arms on her was all the answer she needed. Naruto thought about her next words carefully, making a decision as she did.

"You should go. If you want it that badly... then you should accept it." she said quietly, turning round on the sand to face him, but not quite managing to look him in in the eye.

Sasuke frowned, and started to voice his protest, but she cut him by pressing her lips onto his own. She could tell he was still frowning as his hands rose to her cheeks, her own fingers tugging him closer with a pull on his shirt.

When his hands started to stray towards her breasts, he broke it off again – he didn't glare at her, but it was clear he wanted another option.

"Naruto, if you want me to stay, say it. I can take another apprenticeship that's a lot closer. It's not like the programmes around here are _bad_. Just say the word"

She was sorely tempted to. Very sorely, but she didn't. Instead she sighed, and settled for a hug instead. He wanted her to decide this for him, she could tell, but that wouldn't be any good in the long run. He didn't want to go simply because of their relationship, but Sasuke had been dreaming of a chance like this long before she'd met him. Passing it over would wreck him from the ground up. He didn't want to make that decision though.

"I'll admit, I don't _want_ you to leave, but are you really going to be satisfied if you choose one of the local programmes? The ones in Lightning are better aren't they? If you don't go you'll be miserable and _like hell_I want to deal with your grouchy attitude for months on end..." she replied, tying to lighten the pressure that was surrounding them.

She didn't think it worked much. Sasuke still had a pained expression on his face, but he looked less conflicted, so maybe her words had achieved the desired effect. Brushing a few stands of hair from her eyes, Sasuke kissed her. It was a fairly simple kiss, but she relished it in spite of herself.

"Naruto... Ihis apprenticeship isn't... It's for _six years..._If I take it then..." he faltered, not wanting to voice the words themselves.

"I know. But you'd do the same for me, and I'd thank you for it in the end. Besides, the holidays aren't over _yet..._" she grinned half-heartedly.

Sasuke considered that for several moments, before kissing her again – with more enthusiasm and relief than he would probably admit to – and then wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you... I know I don't say or show it much, but I do. You know that right?" he mumbled, reluctant to loose his cool exterior a bit more than usual but forcing the words out anyway.

"I know... I love you too" Naruto replied, tightening her arms around his neck.

After a moment, she stood up just as the band on the other side of town started up again. On cue, the second half of the firework display started with a loud cracking banger. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when she dragged him up with her, discarding the set of towels and heading for the water.

"Come on – I'm... declaring a water fight or something. This is _way_ too gloomy for a first date. We should be having _fun_, and frankly, I like a good water fight" she grinned, walking backwards into the water to depth that reached just above her knees.

"Won't your brother want you back home? You know how he gets..." Sasuke replied, a smirk creeping onto his face all the same.

"I told him not to wait up for me coming home tonight... If you catch my drift" she grinned, waggling her eyebrows suggestively before plunging her hands in the water and hurling some in his direction.

As she expected, her words stunned him so much he forgot to doge the water, and ended up soaked from the head down. He spluttered, but the blush on his face was plain.

He continued spluttering, trying to think up some sort of reply, but it only ended up with Naruto loosing her footing for laughing at her prudish virgin boyfriend, and falling into the water herself. Realising he was being mocked, Sasuke immediately retaliated, and they almost forgot the unpleasant conversation that had just taken place under the glow of the fireworks.

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><p>The water fight didn't last long given the lowering temperature, but Naruto thoroughly enjoyed the food Sasuke had taken from the festival itself (even if the takoyaki was cold) and the mini bout of (bad) dancing along to the traditional music drifting over to them from the other side of the bay.<p>

They couldn't stay forever though – it was getting colder for one thing, and there was a tide to pay attention to. Clouds started building overhead as the festival drew to a close, and the notion of being caught in the rain did not appeal either. They decided it best to leave just in case, and after climbing back through the rocks, Naruto got anther piggyback along the beach.

Getting to the promenade, a short argument broke out concerning the night's lodgings and activities. Sasuke was convinced she had only brought the subject up because of his sour-news, and insisted it wasn't _'the proper way to do things'_. Naruto was convinced her virgin boyfriend was a prude, and bluntly reminded him that she had already warned her brother she might be out for the entire night. She took great pains to stress that was _before_he dropped his unpleasant bomb.

She convinced him in the end, kissing his cheek from over his shoulder and giggling at the blush on his face. She often found it amusing that she was the one with more experience in romance rather the recently graduated third year. It was always so much fun to see him splutter and blush when the subject came up. Even though they'd already gone beyond casual making out into more serious stuff, Sasuke still blushed like a tomato if the subject of sex came up.

Of course after that, the argument had been over lodgings and the subject of money. Neither of them liked the idea of love hotels (and besides, neither knew if Konoha even _had_one), but while Naruto was perfectly happy with a normal fairly cheap hotel, Sasuke was not. Naruto blamed his virginity subconsciously giving him romanticised ideas.

She had argued that her budget of 4,000 ryo would only stretch so far, but Sasuke had had a minor fit of pride and demanded that he at least pay towards the room if not all of it (_'I'm a man god damn it! This is supposed to be my responsibility!'_). Naruto had rolled her eyes, but agreed all the same, and Sasuke's contribution of 3,000 ryo was enough to get a room in one of the Sasuke-approved hotels.

That was the only spat however, and once settled, they fell back to their previous activity of pointing out the constellations slowly being covered with the dark clouds. All of a sudden Naruto couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the sight of Lyra disappearing behind one of the dark rain clouds.

Like the sight of firework sparks dissipating, it reminded her that everything has a certain time span. Even the good things. It was a reminder she didn't need tonight.

Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. Naruto stared up at the spot where she had last seen Lyra and frowned at the clouds once again.

"It kind looks like Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies couldn't make it this year. She must be lonely..." Naruto mused quietly.

There was a heavy silence, and Sasuke stopped walking as she rested her head on his neck. Her eyes _stung_, but differentiating her tears from the rain soaking her was impossible. It didn't stop her feeling self-conscious about them though.

This was _her_ idea, she shouldn't be _blubbering_ about it but... it really wasn't the most pleasant or the best idea she'd ever come up with (and a few of her old pranking ones were absolute _doozies_). She didn't want Sasuke to mope about because he didn't go though, so it was the best thing she could think of. They just weren't the types to make a long-distance relationship work.

In spite of the decision, she was glad Sasuke didn't call her out on her blubbering – instead he stood there, still supporting her on his back as he stared at the impact of the bullets on the water below them.

"Hikoboshi-Sama probably doesn't like it much either" he replied quietly.

Naruto wound her arms around his neck a little tighter, muffling her snuffles withhis shoulder, and Sasuke didn't move until they had passed. When they did, she hopped down from his back and intertwined her fingers with his, reaching them up to the arm that wound around her shoulders.

"Naruto... If you want to change your mind... I _really_wouldn't complain as much as you think..." Sasuke ventured, after a few long minuets of silent, tense walking.

"Don't give me that option Sasuke... I might just take you up on it" she replied, frankly and calmly.

Catching sight of the hotel they were looking for, Naruto looked up at him with a smirk and pressed her lips onto his own. Flicking her tongue over them, Sasuke responded without much complaint, his hand getting ever lower on her waist until she pulled back and grinned at him again.

"...besides, I don't want to worry about _that_until I have to. I have other plans for you tonight Uchiha, and they don't involve gloomy speeches and crying. Screaming and moaning, definitely, but crying really isn't something you want to be doing in the middle of the nasty" she teased.

Sasuke immediately turned into a bright red, spluttering tomato. After enduring some more teasing and laughter, he fixed their fingers together and led her to the door of the hotel himself; it was an attempt to regain some of his cool, but the blatant blushing really didn't go with the image he was trying to achieve.

The serious moment was forgotten completely that time, bringing both their focus back to what it should have been on all night; each other.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh... This was supposed to be a one shot. It turned into a three-shot. I fail - I absolutely fail. <strong>_

_**I also completely raped the italics HTML code here... I'm sorry T_T There wasn't that much in the original word document... I can't help it - I get typerhappy when I'm writing fanfiction... X(**_

_**It's better than my last attempt at a oneshot though - the last one was Uptown Girl and that's got about eight chapters now... I can't help it. I'm just not one for leaving detail out. I like my chaptered stories ^^;**_

_**There are various references to Japanese culture in this; I'm working with the assumption that, as regular anime watchers, most of you will know what they are, or be smart enough to make an educated guess. **_

_**For those who don't... Wikipedia is your friend. Talk to it.**_

_**The basic idea came from two Japanese songs listed below (both by the same artist) after reading the english lyrics too many times, and a story that comes about from the Tanabata Festival held in Japan. Again, Wikipedia is your friend.**_

_**Naruto's outfit is from the Sim's 2, with the addition of the skirt and shortening of the Yukata top. As for the money, I just turned Yen into Ryo.**_

_**4000 Yen works out at 30 Great British Pounds. 3000 yen works out at about 20 Great Brittish pounds. I went with the average price of a hotel room for a night in the uk and that's about 50 for the hotels Sasuke approved XD working out at 7000 yen... ish.**_

_**If you're really that interested in the exact ammount, there are online currency converters to be found. Don't ask me what it would be in Dollars, because I have no clue. I know the rough guide for working out Dollars and Pounds is to halve the number of pounds to get the dollar equivalent, but it isn't very accurate since exchange rates have a habit of changing.**_

_**In anycase, I hope you like it :) The other chapters will be out tomorrow and the day after.**_

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><p><strong>MUSIC:<strong> _'Utakata Hanabi'_ - Supercell, _'Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari'_ - Supercell, _'Mayonaka no Midnight'_ - Aqua Timez, _'Never Had A Dream Come True'_ - S Club 7, _'When Youre Looking Like That'_ - Westlife.


	2. Second Festival

**TRANSIENT FIREWORKS**

* * *

><p>Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the clouds released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. "Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies didn't make it this year" she mused. "Hikoboshi- Sama probably doesn't like it much either" Sasuke replied. Song-Inspired Fic. A SasuFemNaru Threeshot.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER II<br>SECOND FESTIVAL**

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><p><em>It would be easier if I'd grown to hate you,<br>__but on a day like today,  
><em>_I'm sure that I'll remember you again.  
><em>_Not knowing these feelings would have been better.  
><em>_Even though we can't meet each other again,  
><em>_I want to see you... I want to see you.  
><em>_Even now, I think of that summer day...  
><em>_...when you were here._

* * *

><p>Naruto stared at the smears of blue paint on her five-meter-square canvas critically, trying to decide what it needed. After a few moments of consideration, she headed for her bag of acrylics and began rummaging through the numerous tubes of blue paint.<p>

Cobalt, Prussian, Ultramarine, Cerulean, Teal, she had every shade of blue under the sun in the bag. She had taken the blues from all her paint sets and shoved them in, _knowing_how much of the colour the painting was going to use, but for some godforsaken reason she had hardly any Aquamarine. She had one measly tube amongst at least a hundred. One freaking tube!

It had all been used up on the bottom of the picture for the most part too, leaving none left for top. It was kind of stupid considering it had been half-covered up when she stared paining in the building silhouettes. It was especially worse now that her only remaining tube no longer seemed to exist...

"Argh! For the people bothering to watch this Stupid documentary, I _hate_ this piece! There's too much fucking _blue!_" Naruto groaned for the benefit of her camcorder.

For the final show, they were supposed to have a documentary on the making of their main piece for the exam board (not to mention the show itself), but unless Naruto could find that damn tube of Aquamarine, there wouldn't _b_e a final piece (never mind a fricking _video_). Fortunately for Naruto, luck was back on her side. Or not, as it were; just as her finders close on the vagrant tube, the door to the studio opened, and Deidara poked his head around the door.

"Jeez Naruto, you're _still_here? The building's closing soon!" he scolded gently, coming into the room to glance at her final piece for the College exhibition all the same.

For their final show of the year (Naruto's graduating year), their tutors had given them three themes to choose from; Fireworks, Memories, and the colour Blue. Normally they let the students work as they wished, but the themes were very broad by themselves; it certainly showed in the other students' work.

Deidara was doing some sort composition with sculpting clay of the moment when a firework actually exploded and a picture series with watercolours. His boyfriend Sasori was still on his sculpture gig, exploring _'happiness'_with sky blue clay, alongside his kabuki metalwork art.

Sai was doing some photographic montages and chalk and charcoal sketches of _'blue in everyday life'_. As for Gaara and Kankuro, they were doing dome sand modelling and using it in their paintings to represent their childhood memories at a beach. Sakura was doing something to do with _'natural fireworks'_, and Ino was doing a series of prints of the same memory, in different shade of blue to reflect the different interpretations of it.

Technically, Naruto's pieces fell under the memories category too, but they were really a mix of all three, since they were based around the same thing. Well, same _person_. She couldn't help it; the moment she had heard the themes, Sasuke simply popped into her mind. She supposed it was because their break up wasn't really one she wanted, just one that was necessary.

It was just impractical to stay together, and sometimes practicality had to come before what people actually wanted. Sasuke's career was just one of those times when she had to make a decision she didn't like.

It didn't stop Sasuke from invading her mind lately though, no thanks to her stupid work for the final show. She supposed it was a good thing really; the exhibition was essentially a graduation one, so for her to pull the themes off she needed something strong to use as a reference. Some of her best memories involved Sasuke, as well as her worst, and it made her all the more motivated to get the pictures _right_.

Thinking about her upcoming college graduation reminded her that Sasuke still had another two years before his apprenticeship in Lightning finished. Heh, maybe she'd use some of her savings and buy a plane ticket so she could scare the creepers out of him after the show... She was so caught up in her thoughts, she completely forgot about Deidara.

"Naruto? Did you hear a word I just said?" the blonde man prompted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... Is it really that late already? Damn, I just found my Aquamarine too... Oh well, I guess I can start on it tomorrow... It's a good place to leave it at really..." Naruto mused, jerking from her daze and scratching the side of her nose where some of the paint had landed on her skin.

"Yeah, I hope you brought a jacket; it's pissing it down. Again, what possessed you to pick such a big canvas?" Deidara muttered, picking up some of the jam jars filled with murky blue water she had been using to wash her paint brushed and heading for the sink.

Naruto focused on pulling off her painting clothes; that was the problem with a big canvas like this. The paint got _everywhere_. She wasn't exactly neat to begin with, but she often forgot which end of the paintbrush was which and got paint in her hair when the back of her head itched.

Hence the long baggy shirt and shorts she wore when she was painting. Stripping down to her underwear, she rummaged around in her bag for her normal clothes; jeans, vest and zip-up jumper and reminded Deidara why the picture was so big for the hundredth time.

"Well, this one is my main piece... I really want it to get noticed. Some of the gallery owners from the big Wind and Lightning galleries are coming remember? Kakashi-sensei said Sarutobi might even show up! If we make a good impact on them we-"

"Yeah yeah, contract shit, money, get recognised and all that _crap_. That's not what I meant. You're obsessed with getting all this stuff perfect; you're _never_this much of a perfectionist... What's got you so worked up about it this time?" Deidara asked, finishing with the jam jars and starting to repack all her supplies as she fought with her skinnies (falling over mid fight).

"Sasuke" she replied as if it explained everything, which it did.

When she had first started the art degree, Deidara had taken an interest in her. Of course, he had realised a few weeks after that he realised he was as straight as a rainbow thanks to Sasori. They had stayed close friends however, and he'd found her bawling her eyes out on the 23rd of July into the college supply of oil paints.

The day was otherwise known as Sasuke's _birthday_, and she hadn't handled the day at all well the first year. Deidara, having gone looking for her when she didn't show up for their art history class, had all but bullied her into spilling her guts, so he knew the whole tale.

Deidara glanced up at the painting, and then raised an eyebrow. Naruto knew what he was thinking - _'why the hell did you think breaking up was a good idea if you're still moping about him?'_- but she ignored the look he was giving her for turning off her camera. She was already having a battle with her Apollonian and Dionysian sides thanks to this stupid project.

There were other pictures she had done that had nothing to do with Sasuke of course, but the best ones were all annoyingly related to him in some way. She had a digital painting of some goldfish that were the same variety of those he'd won for her at the festival.

Another was a blue based cloth sculpture of her beloved ratty old fox toy; Ramen was, with a little smile on his lop-sided jaws,clinging to Rawry as if the dino-toy were a life raft. Rawry was an old dinosaur toy that Sasuke had never gotten rid of (his mother had told her once that he still talked to it when he was confused).

She'd told herself that Ramen looked lonely, and she'd always had a soft spot for the stupid dinosaur.

"What else do you need to do to it? It looks finished to me..." he mused

"Some more dark blues and lighter shades, and I need to start on the white and blue for the fireworks. Got to edit my documentary into something shorter too; thanks for tidying up for me" Naruto replied, pulling her jumper on over her shirt and hitching the bag Deidara handed to her over her shoulder, and placing her video camera inside it.

"You know that you're _insane_ right? You don't have enough time to get any more work on that done if you want to finish your other paintings! You're making this personal y'know. That's just _asking_ for trouble; what happens if someone wants to _buy it?_It's been known to happen on occasion y'know" Deidara asked, holding the door open for her.

"Shut up, I'll get it done, just you watch me. As for selling it, if someone likes it that much, then they can get a print of it instead. And for your information, _all_of my art is personal" Naruto replied with a slightly insulted sniff.

"Not _that_personal... Face it girlie, you're still head over heels for the idiot" Deidara snickered as they walked down the corridors towards the main entrance.

"Say that again, and I'll tell Sasori that we did have sex before you two started dating" Naruto threatened, not entirely jokingly.

She didn't mind debating it in her own head, but being told she was still in love with her ex boyfriend by someone else grated on her nerves. It just made her all the gloomier about her own act of teenage stupidity.

"Don't you _dare!_ Ugh, god I can't believe that even _happened!_ Ugh... I'm so glad I don't remember it! Just thinking about it makes me ill! _Bleargh!_" Deidara replied, sounding both panicked and disgusted at the same time in lieu the returning memory.

Rather than being offended, Naruto just laughed at him and hitched up an umbrella between them as they left the building.

Her head was too busy working out how she was going to paint in her fireworks to really care.

* * *

><p>Deidara was right about the weather; by the time Naruto got back to the flat she shared with Sasori and Sakura, she was soaked to the skin from the pelting drops of rain. She was the only one in the flat, and after a shower and changing into a shirt and her pyjama bottoms she flopped in front of the TV.<p>

She wished Sakura was there to gossip about something with (probably Ino's latest problem with Shikamaru), but Sakura had already called to say she would stay at Gaara's to avoid the rain, and Sasori was on a date with Deidara.

As such, she found it hard to keep her mind off things other than the rain. When she was a kid, she used to love the rain; she'd run around in it like a crack-high clubber and not caring in the slightest when she caught a cold. Especially during showers like this one. Now it just reminded her of the night Sasuke told her about his apprenticeship.

It drove her mad, frankly. There were other things that she avoided too because of that moment of stupidity. Certain foods, types of music, and the festivals. She avoided them because she didn't want to think about him more than she had to, or get into a frame of mind where she was regretting her choice.

She knew that Sasuke would have stayed if she'd asked him to; he asked her because he couldn't make the choice himself, and that said quite a bit to her. If she had felt like being selfish, he really would have stayed in Konoha. He'd given her the ball, and she'd thrown it into the court, so she really didn't have any rights to be moping like she was.

She had tried getting angry about the whole thing, bit it didn't really work. She was definitely annoyed, and was still uncomfortable whenever his name came up in conversation, but she just couldn't bring herself to be angry or hate him. It wasn't like he had done anything wrong by asking her advice, and he'd made the last few weeks before he left some of the best memories she'd had.

Sex had turned into a regular thing staring the morning she woke up in the hotel room; Sasuke had been determined to get rid of her teasing by getting more experience. That was what he claimed anyway; Naruto simply thought she'd released a perverted demon on the poor girls of Lightning. He was probably terrorizing them right now.

There were more dates in the weeks preceding his flight, simple stuff like the cinema, a couple of meals, and once a completely random drive into countryside surrounding Konoha; Sasuke revealed his inner exhibitionist that day. He had been making up for all the dates they really should have been going in the first place, and making the most of the remaining summer. She really couldn't have been happier.

Of course, all good things came to an end, and at the end of august, she and her brother joined his parents and brother in the airport...

Muttering curses to herself, Naruto stood up and headed for the kitchen. Specifically, Sasori's tequila stash. She was not going to spend her night moping damn it all, and if she couldn't get her thoughts to stay away from her ex-boyfriend by _herself_...

...Well, that was where the tequila came in.

* * *

><p>"...<em>ruto! Naruto!<em>"

The blonde haired girl blinked awake, and then groaned when sunlight hit her eyes, rolling over to keep it from stabbing her head with its rays. She seemed to have lost track of several hours, but she supposed the headache was worth it. Sasuke was the last thing on her mind at the moment...

Or not. Bugger it! Bugger the stupid stash of head-ache-making tequila too!

"Naruto, get off the floor! How much did you _drink_last night?" Sasori demanded, trying to get her to stand up and failing.

"Go away and _die_ Deida-chan" Naruto groaned, in to the floor.  
>"No, I'm <em>Sasori<em>Naruto; you've been drinking my tequila again haven't you?" Sasori asked, helping her to her feet and depositing her on the sofa before handing her a glass of water.

Naruto glared at the disgusting concoction but a stronger glare from Sasori made her drink it all the same. Once satisfied, he tuned the still blaring television off and then faced her with an _'explain it now'_expression on his face. Naruto wondered if Deidara had told him to check on her; she wouldn't put it past him. Stupid clay-headed, blonde pansy of a man...

"I was just stressed" she tried, hoping to avoid talking about something (or someone) she'd really rather _not_.

"Yeah, sure. Do you think I'm _stupid_or something? I know what those pictures are. You've been moping for weeks. Ever since you started them, actually" Sasori replied, rejecting her lie and crossing his arms impatiently.

"Whaddya want me to say? That I miss him? It's a little _late_for that! I don't have room to be thinking like that when it's my own fault for letting him go in the first... place..."

Naruto tried to protest. She really did, but several factors made he falter, allowing stinging salty tears to build up in her eyes and slowly dribble over her cheeks.

One, Sasori was frigging _scary_ when he was giving people advice. Two, she was still a little tipsy, and therefore more prone to blunt honesty (she wasn't going to _touch_another bottle of tequila for months). And three... Well, she didn't see any point in trying to convince herself otherwise any more.

At the airport, she'd sobbed into her brother's t-shirt like she was five-years old again once Sasuke plane had left. The crying and sniffling had lasted fifteen minuets, and only resulted in a splotchy face and a nasty little headache.

She hadn't had any setbacks since, but did she really _care_any more? No. she didn't. It had been obvious really, especially given she hadn't been able to hold down a boyfriend for more than a couple of months since (Deidara didn't count though). She'd just been too stubborn to see it. She could see it with stark clarity now though, and it ate away at her.

"I-I miss him. I could have made him stay, I think he _w-wanted_ me to as well, but I _made _him go. Now I'm s-snivelling, and I stink of _t-tequila_, and..."

She gave up trying to control herself, and settled for wailing like a kid all over again. Sasori gave her a nonchalant pat on the back when she clamped her arms on his waist and sobbed onto his knees.

"I'm really, _really_stupid aren't I?" she asked, still sniffling onto her room-mates jeans.

"I'll say you're stupid; it's taken you _four years_ to figure that out? And here I thought_Deidara_was the stupid one..." Sasori muttered, picking up the empty tequila bottle off the floor from the corner of the sofa and staring at it incredulously.

Naruto really couldn't defend against that since she had admitted it herself. That and she really just wanted to snivel and cry for once. Sure it was horrendously hypocritical, but she really didn't give a damn any more.

She was still in love with Sasuke, and missed the virgin jerk like crazy. And there wasn't anything she could do about it. Surely that earned a little tequila-snivelling?

* * *

><p>"...so then I said to her <em>'Karui, sorry babe, but I'm not a relationship kind of guy'<em>and then she punches me and starts bawling her eyes out! I mean, I've known her what? A month? Girls that get attached that quickly are scary man!"

"At least she's _human_ Kiba; I think Sasuke's got the worst of it with Karin. I seriously can't believe she stole your underwear. That's just _desperate_... Hey Sasuke are you even listening?"

Sasuke was not listening, and so he did not reply. Kiba and Suigetsu were nice enough, but Sasuke really wasn't the chatty type. Ignoring the two loudmouths, he turned over the page of his art magazine and took another glug of his coffee. It was far more interesting than the _'complain-about-women'_talk the two idiots were having.

Suigetsu at least had some sense in that area, but if Kiba kept going after one-night stands, he was going to piss off some girl's father one day. Said father probably owning an illegal weapon of some kind. Like Karui's did. As for him... Well, he wasn't completely innocent (porn just didn't cut it sometimes, so there had been a couple of nightly flings) but he didn't really bother with women.

He just couldn't bring himself to be interested in one the way he should. He'd tried dating Karin (despite Suigetu's claims, she _did_have her good points) but she wasn't stupid. Muttering someone else's name in his sleep was something of a clue, so now they had a different arrangement.

When, porn wasn't working, he'd just visit Karin if she was single. Sasuke had to thank the man who'd come up with the idea of _'friends-with-benefits'_.

It had been her idea in the first place, and the strange philosophical conversations afterwards were actually interesting. He just wished she'd let her brain show a little more in public.

In any case, Karin knew about Naruto, and the fact he was not in any remote way past her. They didn't talk about her much; only three times in the last four years actually, but those few times had been good for him as far as psychology went.

For one thing, he wasn't in denial about his emotional attachments, unlike _Kiba_. Seriously, the guy had tallied up _how many_ one night stands with Karui? In _how long?_Frankly, Sasuke though Kiba needed a girl to kick him into place. Karui was perfect. He'd keep that thought to himself though.

Despite attempts to draw him into conversation, Sasuke still ignored the two boys for his art magazine. It was far more entertaining, and _far_more educational than anything either of them could come up with outside of an exam room.

Though that being said, there wasn't much in this week's edition. Some new work from well-known artists being bought at extortionate prices was about all. Not really what he was looking for. He took more of an interest in the artists who were verging on being nobodies.

It wasn't that he didn't like the work of the greats - he did. He just found newer stuff to be, unsurprisingly, more relevant. It was better to understand and relate to. Flicking the page, the next article finally showed some promise; _Hizuren Sarutobi contracts new generation of students from famed Art School._

Now that was interesting. The man was well known for having a good eye for future greats. Killer Bee, Kakashi Hatake, and Orochimaru were only some of his proteges (even if the last one of the three _had_gone whacko on all the drugs). He was picky, but those he took on as apprentices always did well in the future.

Blotting out the voices of his companions, Sasuke quickly gave the printed characters his undivided attention. The man had several galleries across the continent, one in each state, and the works of his new students were going to be shown in each of them in rotation.

Sasuke was in luck; the collection of work had just gone on show in the Kumo gallery yesterday. The electricians firm they were working under beside the college had given them the afternoon off. All three of them were art nerds (Sasuke was just the only one who took a more detailed interest), so a visit this afternoon was easily done. A brief mention was all it took to gain the interest of the idiots.

"Sarutobi? Sure, if they passed _his_test then they're at least worth a glance. Does it say who?" Suigetsu asked an equally affirmative nod from Kiba.

Sasuke turned back to the article, scanning it until it finally mentioned the lucky assholes that'd passed Sarutobi's high standards, and began to read aloud.

"...each of Sarutobi's new disciples were chosen from the Konoha Art School, each of the lucky students' works gaining Sarutobi's undivided attention during their graduation show last month. Based on three themes to be revealed in the galleries on viewing, the collected variety of works by Sasori Akasuna Sakura Haruno and..."

Sasuke stopped, wondering if the words in front of him had perhaps been misprinted. He sincerely hoped otherwise, but half terrified, the name was stuck on his vocal chords. He was unaware of the looks he was receiving until Kiba poked him in the shoulder.

"Sasuke, who's the last one?" he asked carefully.

Kiba had not gone to the same schools he had (Kiba's parents had sent him and his sister to the posh academies) but they were both from Konoha, and had known each other by word of mouth. On first arriving, to find a name he knew (if not a face) working on the same apprenticeship had been a blessing. Kiba knew Sasuke very well, and in the past four years of _actually_knowing him, he had never seen him so... out of his skin.

Sasuke started at the prompting, but managed to get back enough of his brains to reveal the cast of Sarutobi's new contracts.

"...Naruto Uzumaki" he said as calmly as he could mange.

He dimly heard Suigetsu's confused queries, and Kiba's exclamations (_'Dude, that's just harsh!'_) but he was to stricken by the article to care. Naruto... hearing [or in this case reading) her name again was shocking enough, but to there it again in such a manner... He didn't know if he should curse her for making more progress with her own goal, or let the insufferably strong blast of pride for her overwhelm him.

He settled for the pride on her behalf. Taking a couple of notes out of his wallet for his food and dropping them on the table, he stood up to leave.

"Sasuke, where are you _going?_You aren't going to do some crazy emo shit are you?" Kiba demanded, trying to follow and almost falling over a char in his worry.

"The gallery; where did you _think_I was going?" Sasuke replied with a roll of his Cages - he appreciated the worry but Kiba had a tendency to over dramatise things.

"Eh? But... I mean you... Naruto is... Didn't you break up with her?" he asked, worry confusing him even more

"Not exactly... well, I say that but.. We did break up, but not out of any desire to" Sasuke replied.

Kiba's eyes lightened with comprehension, and quickly caught up with him as they left the coffee bar. They were half-way down the street when they had to stop so an irate Suigetsu could catch up with them.

* * *

><p>Heading quickly through the drenching rain that perpetually hovered over Kumo, Sasuke soon found himself shaking off his Jacket in the entrance hall of the Sarutobi Gallery with Kiba and Suigetsu.<p>

It was a fairly average modern-looking building with lots of white paint and seemingly nonsensical pieces of sculpture in the main lobby. Like most galleries, it was free, and a quick query with the receptionist soon had them heading for the new exhibition.

Sasuke wasn't really certain of what he was hoping to achieve by coming here. The easiest thing to do was either ignore it, or call Naruto and congratulate her himself. Unfortunately, he didn't haven mobile number any more, so that was a no-go.

He couldn't ignore it though, despite his god damned best attempts to try in the past. He'd probably be better off hating her for coming up with such a stupid idea, but he didn't manage that either.

He knew why she made him leave. She'd wanted him to get the goals he wanted at the best of his ability, and that meant Lightning. He had to remind himself it wasn't something she like either.

It had been for the best at the time, even if he hadn't liked the idea much. He _still_didn't like it much. In hindsight he probably should have done more to protest, but he had been at the stage of adulthood that (while no longer under restrictions such as drinking) did not have enough life experience to know any better.

Naruto was more mature. At least, more than he was in terms of life. She always had been, force to grow up quicker by the early deaths of her parents, so he had trusted her judgement more than his own. He shouldn't have.

He knew now that a Long-distance relationship wasn't impossible, even with their personalities. Suigetsu managed it with his boyfriend long before coming to Kumo. Suigetsu was a native of Water, Juugo from Earth. That was further than Konoha was from Kumo.

If _Suigetsu_could manage it, it was certainly within the capabilities of himself and his ex-girlfriend.

Reaching the top of a flight of Stairs, they found the relevant signs, and soon found the rooms set-aside for the exhibition-the first was one for the work of the only guy in the group of new generation of Sarutobi Students. It looked interesting with all the allusions to kabuki theatre, and the theme on poison (_'A Blue Explosion of Life'_), but Sasuke gave it a half-hearted glance at best.

Next was the work of Sakura; again it looked interesting. It seemed more like a vegetation or geology study, but he had to once again apologise to the first of Naruto's best friends, promising to have a better look later on before heading for the third room.

Finally amongst Naruto's work, he took his time with each piece, following the pictures around the room the way he was supposed to have with the other two rooms. At first, there were some simple sketches in blue pencil (of varying shades), but they developed into full paintings or more developed pencil and pastel drawings.

He knew that there had been several different themes in the work for the Degree Show they were originally displayed in, but it was fairly obvious what it in Naruto's work. She had never been one for the obscure meanings in her work, even in high school. Apparently that hadn't changed much in the four years since he had last seen her.

In any case, Naruto's work seemed to be a mix of all three identified at the door, varying depending on the subject.

He could tell from a silhouette painting of three girls with sparklers - it was from the last school festival he'd attended. Ino had snuck in some of the stick-fireworks, and She, Naruto, and Sakura had ended up with a whole load of detentions for it. He'd laughed at her for weeks, while Naruto grumbled about being a _'victim of circumstance'_.

Moving on, he found various other sketches and simple paintings. Some were blue, others weren't but their subjects were either some kind of memory, or some thing related to fireworks in some shape or form. Finished with that side of the room, he turned around to examine the rest of her wore on the opposite wall.

The paintings on that side of the room were a bit more detailed, and the ideas behind them much less obvious, but what drew his attention was not one of the paintings. It was a blue patchwork fabric sculpture. The various patches of cloth were in various Shades, some decorated with a mixture of starry designs, but it was the familiarity that struck him.

_Rawry!_That was Rawry, he was certain of it! He wasn't green, but he was absolutely positive that his childhood toy/imaginary friend/stuffed psychiatrist sitting on the stand in front of him. He was also pretty certain the plush clinging onto it was Ramen.

Another painting caught his eye then - it was another piece with blue in it, but the burning golden orange of the goldfish was branded onto his eyes. Those goldfish looked _very_familiar for some reason. One he didn't _dare_to dwell on for any length of time, just in case it was right.

Eyes narrowing in surprise, and disbelief, he turned, giving each of the paintings a second glance. He knew all these moments. He knew the basis for each and every piece in this room. Maybe he wasn't a direct part of the memories themselves, but he had either been a witness or heard about the events from Naruto at some point.

It was most likely a coincidence, but it brought a curl to the corner of his lips all the same. She mustn't have noticed - there was _no way_she'd let stuff like that be shown in a gallery if she knew about it. For all her enthusiasm, Naruto was an unexpectedly private person...

Following into the last room - for the final and presumably best pieces of the collections - Sasuke took a decent look at the other two works first. Sakura had done pretty well; he'd have to look at her other stuff to know what it represented, but the Papier-Mache sculpture was different.

As for that Sasori guy, his two metalwork puppets were nothing shot of amazing (Sasuke had learned welding on his own course, and while he liked it, it was bloody _awkward as hell_to get right, and _disastrous_to get wrong.

He didn't know what he was expecting when he turned to Naruto's work, but he doubted it was what greeted him. It was a huge canvas, very nearly filling the whole wall. The size itself was shocking enough but the subject... the subject was _wrenching_.

It was a view of that beach he had taken her to from the opposite bank. The windmills themselves were Silhouettes, as were the small cluster of town buildings in front of them; in front of that, a small Section of the sea filled the bottom of the painting, merging into the Silhouettes by a fraction. It was all backed by a gradiated blue Sky, darker at the top of the painting and lightening downwards to a bright aquamarine.

Atop the sky background were blasts of exploding blue and white paint above broken concentric circles of the same bright hue. Tiny flecks of yellow on the Silhouettes indicated city lights, but the bursts of blue paint that made up most of the image drew every ounce of his attention.

_"Do you really have to do the sketching now? Can't you just wait until early morning or something?"_

"Considering my final painting is going to be a

night-time_ one, getting a Sketch during the day time really wouldn't work Deidara."_

Sasuke blinked, hoping to god shock hadn't finally sent him stark raving bonkers. Then he glanced to a screen projection on one wall at the end of the room. He remembered the receptionist saying something about a documentary by each artist in the back room, and he supposed this must be it.

It had to be, considering it was showing Naruto wandering along the promenade, presumably towards the location she was sketching from. Nostalgia swept over him as he recognised the familiar area. It was near his parents' home back in Konoha (just a few Streets away from the house Naruto shared with her brother).

_"Alright! Hello examiner people and people observing Konoha Art School's Degree Show! I'm Naruto, and this is my documentary on my final piece. It's going to be huge, but I need a concept sketch first. Y'know, to keep the lecturers happy so..."_

"Get on with it Naruto-chan! It's November! I'm freezing my ass off here!"

"The fuck? Don't pollute my name with girly honorific's like that you blonde pansy of a man!"

Sasuke was glued to the images being projected onto the wall as Naruto argued like a fisherwoman (complete with the bad language) with the guy holding her camcorder; it had been so long since he'd hear her voice, since he'd last seen her.

Her appearance was the oddly same, the only differences being she'd stopped wearing those bunches she wore in high school, leaving her hair free flowing but for a couple of orange clips to keep her hair out of her face. She also looked a little calmer - the hyperactive, idiotic personality was still there, it was just a little more... controlled. It suited her.

There was a screen change, and Naruto herself held the camera; apparently back in the college. She introduced the other members of her class before turning to show her various concept sketches, and finally the large canvas with one of the designs already drawn on a pale sky blue paint. She jabbered away, and he was easily caught up in it.

It was like he was standing right there next to her again, listening to her blathering away after a make out Session in the one of the old classrooms of Konoha High. It was fairly deep for a girl's voice, but it still reached higher notes when she was genuinely excited about something (he doubled her singing ability had improved though).

_"Naruto, why don't you stop rambling about acrylics Versus Oils, and tell everyone about your theme?"_

"Yeah Naruto! Tell them about your Theme!"

It was a lazy grey haired man who spoke first, his eyes not leaving the porn book in front of him - Sasuke had his own collection of the series, so he recognised the cover. He quickly recognised him as an ex-student of Sarutobi (he remembered because Naruto had been fangirling about it when she found out he was teaching at Konoha Art School, and he'd gotten jealous).

The second voice came from Ino somewhere in the background, and there was a teasing note to her voice that caught his attention immediately.

_"What? Shut it Piggy! I'll get to the damn theme in my own sweet time! I happen to like talking about acrylics versus oils!"_

Huffing to herself, Naruto turned the camera back to one other concept sketches. It was a pencil version of the huge painting now hanging on the wall. Sasuke's lips curled as she muttered to herself some very dubious remarks about getting revenge. No doubt Ino had been the victim of a prank after this video was taken.

_"... Okay, so this picture is in the... uh... blue theme. And the other two as well, because I'm boring and can't do that cryptic crap. There is some meaning in it I guess... I mean, I wasn't exactly pleased when this was... Well, I was, but not really, so that's why everything's blue... It's a sort-of-blue-but-not-really-blue piece because it's a really important memory of mine about... fireworks. Of a kind. That's it. I'm not saying no more. Because if I do, I'll probably drink all Sasori's tequila, and then I'll be up Shit creek and all gloomy-drunk tomorrow. So, the painting Stages..."_

Sasuke didn't know how long he stood there after he heard that. He knew that Suigetsu and Kiba had caught up, and the video was playing for a second time, when Kiba clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically.

He reverted to grunts as they left the building (something Kiba took greatly appreciated pains to ignore). All that was running through his mind were two facts. The first; the chance that Naruto was just as past him as he was her... was alarmingly high.

The second: they were both first rate idiots.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Yahoo. Second chapter up. Haven't posted something for ages - blurred sound is kicking me at the moment, but plot to paper just isn't working. This is already finished - my shortest FemNaruSasu story ever at three chapters, so here's some spam. Hope you all had a good Chrimbo and New Year :) Or that you will have one if you haven't had it yet.<em>**

**_For those interested, Naruto's big picture is the background of the Utataka Hanabi ending. I know, not very imaginative, but this fic was kind inspired by the same song, and a pic I started drawing before I even typed this thing (which was last summer). I work with what the muses give me. Kinda hard to do the opposite._**

**_Had to get Rawry in - I can't sew for the life of me, but damn it all if I won't make a plushie of that cute little dinosaur one day. Hope you guys liked chapter two. _**

**_As for my other stories, s_****_tay tuned - I swear I'll finish Insider soon. I have the plan! Blurred Sound too! I swear to god! Just stay with me a little longer guys!_**

**_Nat_**  
><strong><em>xxx<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>Music: '<strong>_Utakata Hanabi' - _Supercell_, 'Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari' - _Supercell_, 'Sen no Yoru Wo Koete' - _Aqua Timez_, 'Have You Ever' - _S Club 7_, 'The Reason Why' - _The Click Five_._


	3. Final Festival

**TRANSIENT FIREWORKS**

* * *

><p>Just as they started crossing the bridge back to the other side of town, the clouds released a building rain shower, and in moments they were soaked. "Orihime-sama's crying... I guess the magpies didn't make it this year" she mused. "Hikoboshi-Sama probably doesn't like it much either" Sasuke replied. Song-Inspired Fic. A SasuFemNaru Oneshot.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<br>****FINAL FESTIVAL**

* * *

><p><em>The fireworks I looked up at all alone<br>made a piercing pain in my heart.  
>Soon enough, the next season<br>will come around.  
>Even now, I think about the transient fireworks<br>I watched with you that summer day._

* * *

><p>The plane journey to Fire Country was <em>hell<em>, and was so for several reasons.

The first was that it was a cramped space, and Sasuke had never been good with cramped spaces of any kind, be it a lift or walking amongst a crowd of people. How he had ever been able to stand Naruto's clingy nature was beyond him, but she had always known when he needed his personal space, so maybe that was part of it.

The second reasons were his companions; as predicted, Kiba had been a complete idiot and pissed off their boss A by getting Karui (said boss's daughter) knocked up. There had been various threats, mostly involving Kiba's manhood and a welding torch (Sasuke had been right about the dangerous weapons). Luckily it had all been sorted out in the end.

Kiba was now stuck with a modern day shotgun wedding, and Karui had a horribly smug look on her face. There was just one problem – they were already arguing like an old married couple, and it was giving him one hell of a headache. Unlike Naruto, they didn't know when the hell to shut up. Kiba was fine by himself, but put him with Karui and he was intolerably loud.

And the last reason Sasuke found the plane journey so intolerable? He was stuck on it for 10 hours straight. It should only have been five, but a freak rainstorm had grounded the plane at their fuel stop.

Sasuke was on the verge of illegal acts when he finally got off the plain and met his brother at the airport. Seeing his brother's face again instead of hearing him over the phone was calming though.

Planes were expensive, so he hadn't come back for holidays or birthdays. Seeing his brother for the first time in six years cooled his anger.

"It's good to have you home – mother and father were worried you know. Of course, father didn't show it, but he always put his paper down when you phoned. Every single time" Itachi informed him as they drove through the suburbs of Konoha.

Sasuke gave a grunt in reply; he was starting to feel the jet lag from the plane already, and it was taking all his effort not to fall asleep in the car. They made him drowsy even as a general rule, but with jet lag?

"What made you so adamant about getting back this week anyway? You didn't have to rush your packing you know. You could have taken a flight at the weekend instead" Itachi suggested.

Sasuke grunted sleepily in response, ignoring the amused glint in his brother's eyes for thoughts of his old bed back at their parents' home.

"...I don't suppose it has something to do with that exhibition that was in Sarutobi's gallery a couple of years back, or the festival this weekend?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke grunted again. Itachi knew full well why he had rushed his return, even if their parents may not. He _could_ have gotten a weekend flight, but if he did that... he would have missed the festival. It was just by luck that he'd finished his last two years in time to get an earlier flight.

He'd wasted two years with that already, and he'd be damned if he waited any longer. A little rushing was nothing if he made it to the festival in time. Of course, he knew there was no guarantee Naruto would show up, but he was prepared for that.

At least he could say he tried to be romantic if he had to go looking for her new address. Or at least, once he'd caught up on some sleep.

He seriously needed some sleep.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, staring at the large canvas Naruto was working on as she entered.<p>

"Painting that new thing for the old geezer – what does it _look_ like I'm doing?" Naruto asked, throwing another dart at the paint filled balloons attached to her canvas.

It hit one, spilling blood red paint over a mix of blacks whites and greys from former balloons surrounding it. Sarutobi had an odd style of teaching his students. He tended to leave his students to themselves, only coming by to check they were actually working on their art every once in a while or to give then strange tasks.

Like this one. Sarutobi had given her a packet of balloons and to her to do whatever she wanted with them. So now she was playing _paint-balloon-darts-on-canvas_. It was actually rather therapeutic, and Naruto never turned down anger management techniques, especially ones that made her job easier too.

"It looks like you're going crazy about something again, judging by the _paint_ you're using, I'd say something Sasuke-related, but I'll let it pass... Are you really busy or can you talk at the same time?" Sakura asked.

"The answer is _no_" Naruto informed her, throwing another dart at a balloon – a red one that spilled out black paint.

"You don't even know what I want to talk about yet!" Sakura complained, heading for her studio fridge and pulling out some tequila.

Naruto had found that while almost nonsensical during the creation process, painting under the influence of tequila produced some very good work. It had a tendency towards silhouette-and-background only work, but she wasn't going to argue good methods. Besides, it was in moderation.

She was beginning to ponder what would happen if she tried vodka or gin. Those two always made Sasori and Kyuubi pretty nuts at parties... then again, those two were probably unstable, so she was probably best sticking with the tequila. Tequila was her friend-with-benefits.

"You're going to ask me if I'll go to the festival this year like Deidara and Sai did yesterday" Naruto replied, throwing another two darts in rapid succession.

She told her friends every year that she didn't want to go with them to the festival. It wasn't that she disliked them as much as she had when she first broke up with Sasuke, but she just found the idea... overwhelming.

The last time she'd gone was a mixed memory, but while there was a lot of good in it, it was more painful than anything. Aside from getting under her skin more than she liked, she'd just end up ruining the outing from anyone else. She wasn't being pessimistic, she just knew from experience.

She had gone with Sakura the year after Sasuke had left, thinking it would help her move on. She'd taken one look at the gold-fish catching boot and had to go back home and persuaded her brother into letting her have a hangover for the night.

...Thinking back on how easy that had been, Naruto suspected that it was her brother's lax parenting attitude with alcohol that made her such a good friend of the tequila bottle. The courts clearly hadn't been having a good day when they let Kyuubi have custody of her.

"Why? Didn't you get out of the whole denial stage when we were working on the pictures for our graduation show?" Sakura demanded, sitting herself down on one of the paint stained beanbags after moving a few stray charcoal sticks.

"Yup. I just don't want to go" Naruto replied, throwing another dart.

Sakura watched her, taking sips from the bottle and narrowing her eyes at her as she retrieved her darts from the canvas and started all over again. Then she let out a groan and flopped back into the beanbag.

"Great - so you're in the _'It's-his-fault-not-mine-so-I'm-being-hypocritically-angry'_ stage now? Well, Isuppose it _is_ a_ kind _of progress... Maybe by the time Sasuke gets back you be in the _'I-want-to-talk-and-make-up'_ stage..." Sakura muttered to herself.

"Exactly – there's no way in hell you can convince me to go to the stupid festival. I'll just want to punch everything anyway. I'd be no fun, and end up ruining the evening for you guys" Naruto replied, hurling three darts towards her canvas.

Red and white paint fell from the three balloons they hit, but mostly the red stuck out; aside from blue, it was Sasuke's favourite colour. Somehow, Naruto was sure it was all Sakura's fault that it was glaring so... _glaringly_ at her, and shot the girl a look that promised revenge in the future.

Sakura ignored her for a swig of the tequila bottle, and a smug smirk instead.

"That's a shame... I didn't want to have to do this Naruto, but you leave me no choice; if you _don't_ go, I'll tell your brother youturned Deidara_ gay_" she said bluntly.

"I _didn't_ turn him _gay!_ He was just in denial!" Naruto protested, shaking her head in confusion.

"Does your _brother_ know that?" Sakura asked.

Naruto froze; Kyuubi didn't know that. He just thought they'd broken up because she still wasn't over Sasuke (technically he was right, but that had nothing to do with her failed sex with Deidara). If Sakura told him she'd actually turned someone gay (even if it was a _lie_)... she'd never hear the end of it!

Sakura smirked at her, handing her the bottle of tequila, then headed for the door.

"I'll see you Thursday evening!" she called cheerfully before closing the door behind her.

Naruto threw a dart at it and swore violently until she ended up kicking thin air and falling onto the bean bag Sakura had just been sitting on. Glancing at the bottle of tequila, Naruto adopted a gloomy expression and took a swig of her own.

"You know, sometime I think you're the only damn thing that understands me, and your a freaking tequila bottle" Naruto told it in mild complaint.

The tequila bottle didn't reply, so Naruto finished it off instead.

* * *

><p>Sasuke, I'm going to meet up with Mei by the fountain – will you be alright by yourself?" Itachi asked.<p>

Sasuke nodded and watched his brother heading back the way they had entered the pier from for a few moments before sighing in frustration. He really should have thought this through a little but more, but he didn't quite have the guts to actually knock on Naruto's door.

He wished he had now – the festival had grown in the six years since he had last attended it. The bamboo plants had been moved to the fountain square at the entry to the pier, and in their place was a large musician's stand for both musicians and other forms of entertainment.

On the beach to the left of the pier, there was now a bonfire present too. The additional changes had not only messed up his sense of direction, but they had caused another problem too; the influx of people was much larger now, and Sasuke did not get along with crowds.

He hated them, especially now. How was he supposed to find _one_ specific blonde when there seemed to be _hundreds_ of them in the immediate vicinity? It was useless! Not to mention he was boiling over too.

Kumo wasn't exactly warm, and Sasuke was still adjusting the temperature differences in addition to the jet lag. He was wandering around in his swim shorts and sandals, and everyone else had t-shirts on, even jumpers in some cases. Personally he thought they were out of their minds, but he was slowly getting overwhelmed by it all.

He was certain he'd find Naruto at one point, but he had to get out of this crowd; besides, if Naruto was even going to _turn up_, it probably wouldn't be until later on in the evening. He had arrived rather early despite the crowd after all.

Passing through the crowd of people, he waved to his grandparents at their senbei stand before heading down the steps between the start of the pier and the promenade towards the beach. He need some air, some space to clear his head.

He'd been staring at blonde faces too much, looking for one with the right shade of hair, the right shape of eyes, or the tell-tale scratch marks just visible beneath a layer of foundation on the cheek. It was going to drive him mad searching so randomly like he was.

He knew he would probably have more luck checking in on his old friends a little earlier than planned and simply _asking_ where she lived, but... it wouldn't be the same. The festival was important in several different ways for both of them, even if the one bad spot had outweighed the good.

It wouldn't feel right if he didn't even try this way first. Starting down the steps, Sasuke was halfway to the bottom when he walked past yet another blonde girl walking in the opposite direction with her group of friends.

He spared her a glance, but she had moved on too quickly for him to get a good look at her. His feet hitting the sand, he continued his pace down the beach away from the festival. He'd get back to searching later, but a walk to clear his head was definitely in order.

And the beach was the perfect place for it.

* * *

><p>Despite her initial grievances, the festival was fun. Or at least, Naruto managed to stomp back all the sharper emotions the spot was giving her and pretend otherwise.<p>

The weather was good enough for her and most of the other girls to walk around on the beach in their bikini and a jumper without raising eyebrows, even if the wind had threatened to pull her hat off her head several times.

The music was a good change from her usual choice of listening too, but she just couldn't get into it the way Deidara and Sakura and the rest of her friends were. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy herself or the food (she had to admit, she definitely liked the food) but...

The place just reminded her too much of her teenage stupidity for her to completely enjoy herself. The card games, the goldfish catching... even Ichiraku's jolted memories of the last time she'd been there with Sasuke.

Sakura did a good job of distracting her by catching her up with the latest gossip on Ino's equally messy love life (and the bets on how long it would be till she jumped back into bed with Shikamaru) but it was never going to last forever.

A couple of hours into the festivities (or at least since their arrival), the announcement came that the fireworks were starting in fifteen minuets, and for Naruto that was the cue she had been waiting for to make a run for it.

The festivities and stalls she could stand, but not the fireworks. At least, not surrounded by people, friends or otherwise. Deidara watched her leave but rather than call her out, he kept Sakura occupied by dragging her and Gaara in the direction of the card game booth.

Naruto made a mental note to buy the guy some of that speciality clay he was always raving about when the cheque from her last sale came through. Passing one of the alcohol vendors, Naruto stopped again to glare at a familiar bottle, before giving up and buying the bottle of tequila to go along with her.

She had a feeling she was going to need it.

* * *

><p>Flopping down just beyond the tide-line, Naruto let out a sigh of relief; she really didn't like being the party pooper, but she really didn't want to be around her friends when the fireworks started.<p>

It was sort of stupid to be moping like she was, but what did it matter when it was only once? She appreciated the effort from her friends to cheer her up, or get her mind off things, or whatever they had been trying to do, but this just wasn't a night she could have fun on.

Uncorking her small bottle of tequila, Naruto glanced over the waves to the stretch of beach backed by the windmills; she could see the stars clearly tonight, unlike that night so many months ago when she had last been here.

"Guess the magpies made it for you this year Orihime-sama..." Naruto murmured to the tiny dots of white starting to litter the sky.

Sighing to herself, she turned her eyes from the smugly bright stars and doodled in the evening-sea-damp sand by her feet with one finger.

At first it was nothing more than a random scribble in the sand, then it became something that had always been scratched on the door frame of her old classroom after a couple had made it past the two-month mark.

Four lines. Three lines connecting into a triangle, the base line the longest with a vertical one connecting to that. She didn't even realise what it was until she had finished drawing in the last syllable of Sasuke's name to one side of the horizontal line, her own on the other.

Staring at what she had just drawn in the sand for a few moments, Naruto scribbled a squiggly line through it. Then the waves drifted up to her feet, and washed at the sand, blurring the two names almost beyond recognition.

What in the hell was she _doing?_ Forgetting about it all was easily her best option, she knew that, but that was easier said than done. Especially here; everything brought those memories flooding back to her here.

Clamping her hand onto her head to stop the wind from prying her hat off, Naruto took a swig of her bottle. Then she glared at it, and threw it into the sand beside her. She wasn't going down that route again (she still hadn't recovered from the last time) without a canvas around to justify it.

A loud bang crackled through the air, and Naruto folded her arms on her knees, resting her chin on them and staring up at the display.

The fireworks really did stand out a little better over here, but it still wasn't as good as being directly below them. The colours didn't _burn_ into her eyes with the same passion, or the same feeling of closeness as they had on the other side of the bay.

Watching another cluster of glittering gunpowder explode in multiple shades above her, Naruto buried her head in her knees and screamed in frustration, he hands slipping under her hat and tugging the roots of her hair in frustration.

Why was she being so damn _stupid?_ So he took her to some fireworks with a bit of flair before they went their separate ways! Was it really something to get _so_ _worked up over? _What had happened to all that _'maturity'_ she'd been using when she made Sasuke take that stupid apprenticeship?

Another firework exploded above her head, and it almost felt like a stab; she'd made Sasuke take that apprenticeship. It was all her own fault, and yet here she was, moping around all by herself with only a bottle of tequila for company.

How stupid could she get?

Another firework exploded, and this time it almost felt like her question was getting an answer; she could almost hear Sasuke's low, smooth and sultry baritone voice making his monosyllable scoff, almost hear the following teasing barb.

_'Sometimes you__really surprise me with the new levels you can take stupidity to... I guess that doesn't make you boring though'_ he'd said once.

She'd roped him into one of her not-so-brilliantly-planned pranks in high school. They had both ended up suffering through three weeks of detention, and since none of the teachers could be bothered supervising, they'd spent the whole time making out instead of doing the lines they were supposed to be writing. Which only resulted in more detention.

Sasuke certainly hadn't complained about _that_ moment of stupidity, but the memory made her wonder what he'd say about this one. Another loud bang interrupted her thoughts, and Naruto glared at the glittering sparks that were slowly fading in the sky.

The whole _'fireworks-like-__Sasuke__'_ thing had been sort of nice at first, but now it was beginning to annoy her. This was exactly why she didn't want to spend her evening here! Even at her flat, she'd hear the bangs, and her thoughts would drift back, reminding her just how stupid she really could be sometimes.

Another loud bang echoed through the wind, and Naruto stood up as the feeling of being mocked began to get under her skin; she knew that fireworks couldn't mock her. They were objects after all, but...! Gods, every time those things blasted through the air, it was like Sasuke was right there beside her.

Those stupid little smirks and stupid, irritating teases that turned into flirting when she wasn't watching. It felt like Sasuke himself was laughing at her stupidity. She wouldn't really hold that against him though.

Even the freaking tequila bottle would probably say she was stupid if it wasn't inanimate.

Forgetting really would be so much easier. Easier by far but even when she tried, like she had been until that damned night when Deidara had been asking about her paintings for the exhibition, she couldn't do it. She could block it out and pretend she'd moved on for a while, but actually move on? She couldn't do it...

She didn't think she _wanted_ to. Was that the same thing? God, she couldn't be bothered trying to figure it out any more. She was done with trying to figure it all out.

As if to emphasise her wandering thoughts, another crackling explosion lit up the skyline above the windmills, and Naruto glared at the sparks. That one seemed the worst. It sounded like that lovely little _'pet name'_ Sasuke had christened her with.

_'Idiot'_ those sparks said to her. It sounded like that one, _damnable_ word so much she couldn't help reacting to it.

"Stop _laughing_ at me you _jerk!_ I get it already – I don't need _you_ telling me I'm an idiot! I'm perfectly capable of figuring that out for myself!" she yelled, jumping up and throwing her bottle of tequila out towards the sea.

She received no reply other than another loud bang from the fireworks, the _'splosh'_ of the tequila bottle landing barley two meters in front of her, and the quiet wash of the waves over her feet.

Running her hands over her eyes, Naruto waded out into the cold sea shallows, and started fishing around for the tequila bottle. Just because she was busy having a Sasuke-angst-moment wasn't any reason to encourage global warming.

As she fished through the water, trying to find the dumb bottle under the flashes of the just as dumb fireworks, the wind kicked up once again, and her hat was blown from her head before she had a chance to catch it.

Naruto made several furious grabs for it, but it continually blew just out of her reach, before disappearing completely around the headland. Not that it was that far away, but still. She just...

She didn't have the energy to chase after it; it wasn't like she could out run Mother Nature. Not unless she was racing a snail or something. Why even bother? It would only end in disappointment when she failed to catch the stupid thing and...

...and Naruto got the feeling she wasn't really thinking about her hat anymore.

_'__Scaredy__ cat'_ the fireworks crackled overhead as she turned back to her searched for the tequila bottle. Naruto ignored them as best she could, but she could help but agree. She was being somewhat lazy and unmotivated about this whole thing.

Not that she had anyone but herself to blame, but... the thoughts that weren't really about her hat were sensible ones. Her lingering feelings didn't really get in the way of anything, and when she was struggling for things to paint it was good inspiration.

Especially with some tequila, and frankly, it made for better companionship than some of her friends did at times. Even if it did sting.

Finally finding the discarded bottle, Naruto stood straight and stuck her tongue out at the new explosions above her head, as if to prove she wasn't a scaredy cat at all. This time, they didn't seem to reply to her, and a smile replaced the smug smirk.

Maybe it hadn't been a bad idea coming here tonight after all.

It felt kind of refreshing, like she had when she was painting the skyline for her college art exhibition. It didn't make it any easier, and she'd probably feel worse tomorrow even without aid of the tequila, but her head felt so much clearer.

If she was honest, it felt like grouching to Sasuke about every little thing when artists block plagued her in high school. He didn't really reply much then either, sometimes ignoring her completely and letting her rant before getting annoyed with all the noise and sticking their lips together to shut her up.

Still knee-deep in the water, Naruto resolved to watch the rest of the fireworks with a smile on her face, only for a blast of cold water to appear from nowhere behind her, and soak her from head to toe.

Naruto couldn't help the shriek of horror that emerged from the sudden wet and cold; pulling her fringe out of her eyes and spitting sea water from her mouth, she turned on furious feet to confront the utter _jackass_ that had seen fit to soak her-

...then she froze as pale skin and dark hair appeared before her once again under the crackling light of the fireworks.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared out at the fireworks – despite his previous inclinations, he hadn't headed back to the festival as he had meant to.<p>

First he had simply enjoyed the breeze, then he'd been wondering what the point of looking through hundreds of people was, when he could simply find her address from her brother or check the phone book at a better time.

Of course, he had reminded himself that finding Naruto again tonight had more impact, and then a nasty voice had asked him if Naruto would even_ want_ to see him again.

It reminded him that it had been her final decision that had been the deciding factor on his first departure. It nagged him that just because he wanted to see a link in the exhibition he had seen didn't actually mean it was meant in a romantic way, or was there at all.

Sasuke had reassured himself with the thoughts that she had been looking out for his best interests, and that no one devoted a whole exhibition to their ex-boyfriend in a platonic manner. It was either love or hate born from it in his opinion, and he was certain Naruto didn't hate him.

That had helped, but it was the fireworks that had really held him up. As his doubts had tried to voice themselves once again, the fireworks display had started with a loud bang. His thoughts had then drifted off into reminiscence. Particularly on the louder, brighter aspects of Naruto's personality.

The doubts had been pushed back to the back of his mind, but nostalgia was a strong feeling once taken a hold of. By the time the fireworks were half way through, he had been there for well over half an hour.

He would have stayed too – he'd found a good spot to sit at, and the sand was comfy – but for an unwelcome gust of wind. It blew his fringe all over his face, and Sasuke was so busy trying to tame the wild strands that he didn't notice the hat that had been flying in his direction until it smacked him in the face.

Grasping hold of it, he examined the offending item thoroughly; it an average pale tan colour, though the dark of the night and light from the fireworks gave it a paler bluish tinge. Then he caught a glance at the orange ribbon surrounding the bowl.

Having been contemplating tossing it aside, he paused. Changing his mind, he turned it over and glanced at the inner side of it. His eyes found the name tag they were looking for. The exact name tag they were looking for.

It took a few moments to register the name there, but once he did, he was no longer seated on the sand and instead taking ever increasing steps across it, back in the direction of the festival. Steps that soon became a jog, before turning into what would be considered a light run.

Then a furious one. Rounding the corner, the pier coming back into view and another bang of the fireworks echoing around the bay, he stopped on sight of the figure standing amongst the waves.

He recognised the silhouetted form of Naruto immediately – the set of her shoulders was exactly the same, even if her hair was longer than he remembered. It was past the small of her back now, but the colour wasn't much different, though it was maybe a little darker? There were a few changes, but nothing he didn't recognise overall.

She stood wither her back to him, staring at the fireworks from their launch point on the other side of the bay. Following her line of sight, he recognised the focal point immediately. Just that made him breathe a sign of relief; it was all well and good to show up unannounced but who was he to assume Naruto would even want to say hello? All he had were his own assumptions.

Admittedly, a whole _art exhibition_ was a pretty big hint to go on, but it was an assumption all the same. Actually seeing her standing and staring at the spot he'd dug out for their only date boosted his confidence. Now all he had to do was say something to her...

...and _that_ was where his brain had run out of diesel. Having such a pessimistic outlook on life, the chance of actually seeing Naruto had failed to cross his mind. In other words, he had absolutely _no idea_ what to say to her.

Somehow _'Hi, how are you doing? Guess what? I'm back – want to jump into the sack again?'_ seemed a bit too blunt even for him. Maybe he should have just called her after all... But that would have been too impersonal. He at least owed her a face-to-face hello...

But how was he supposed to just... say that? He hadn't seen this girl for five years – give or take. He didn't think a simple hello was going to quite cut it... But he had to say _something!_ He couldn't just stand around and wait for her to turn around!

For the love of that _blasted_ ramen, he was _in love_ with this woman! There had to be something intelligent he could say to her in his brain _somewhere! _Failing to come up with something, he fell back to something he usually tried to avoid.

He tried to think like his fatally head-strong ex-girlfriend. It was a _dangerous_ thing to do given how often Naruto's plans backfired but... Fuck it all, he was out of ideas. He'd just have to hope some of her luck rubbed off on him.

Filling his head with thoughts of ramen, orange, Kyuubi, more ramen, gardening, more orange, Pranks, paints, high school, her friends, yet again more ramen, and their first date, Sasuke glanced around at his surroundings in hopes of inspiration.

There wasn't very much to do any inspiring though. Sand, seaweed, the promenade, the pier further down the beach, the headland, the fireworks... and the sea itself.

There wasn't much he could do with that. Not unless he threw some sand at her or something, and he wasn't throwing sand in this wind. It'd just get in someone's eyes... But the water was a different matter.

The water was a different matter _entirely._ She'd done the same to him years ago, hadn't she? On this same night in fact. When the serious talk began to annoy her.

Smirking to himself, Sasuke slowly and silently crept up behind her, slowly wading through the water till he was close enough to get a good shot. Then, slowly dipping his hands into the water (hat under his arm), he hurled the salty sea water over her.

Naruto shrieked as the cold water soaked through her short jacket, through her hair, and thoroughly covered her from head to toe. Foul curses left her ups as she whirled around to let her fury fly.

Then it vanished, replaced by shock, confusion, and other hidden expressions. Disbelief for an instant too. A blink later, lids closing over her familiar blue eyes, it was still there. Just not from thoughts of light tricks.

"That's for telling me to _leave_ when I was _plainly_ telling you to do the _opposite_..." he ventured, taking a careful step back in case her temper broke out.

Naruto remained still as a statue, her eyes blinking rapidly as she listened. Blinking furiously she lifted her gaze to meet his own directly. Starting, she took a step back as it finally dawned on her that he was standing in front of her.

He threw the water at her again, and it caught her face on as the exploding colours blasted above them. Once again, she sneaked in surprise and sputtered, wiping the water off her face, the realisation getting a little stronger.

"That's for that stupid... inconvenient... messed up... stunt of an exhibition..." he continued teasingly, throwing more water with each word and watching her raise her arms to protect herself from the splashes.

With a final swill of his hands in the water, he splashed her again, so much that she almost lost her balance. Still she didn't say anything; she only stared in shock, and hopefully the good kind of disbelief.

"...and _that..._ was for getting me soaked the last time I was here!" he finished breathlessly, his smirk half curling into a grin.

Taking the hat back in his hands, he waded through the water, and handed her the thing that had blown into his face. She was still staring, her hand rising only barley to grasp the rim of the straw head cover.

Then she looked up, her eyes directly contending with his own for the first time in years; all the confusion and shock had dimmed now, clarity and... Dare he even think it, a kind of anticipation taking their stead.

Rather than reflecting the fireworks bursting in their final show above their heads, the spark in her eyes was more of a furiously dying flame being reignited.

Just like a firework that wouldn't start at first, but on a second lighting, exploded in a myriad of coloured sparks and gunpowder greater than its predecessors. The wick was there, still smouldering in front of him after the first failure. All he had to do was relight it...

"I think this belongs to you."

...and that was exactly what he did.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I... I did it...! I actually... FINISHED SOMETHING!<strong>_

_**Yes, it's short, but that's good too, and yes it's full of god-awful cliches and stupidity but i dont care! I FINISHED SOMETHING! This has never happened before! I'm HAPPY damn it!**_

_**Hope you guys liked this story. My post epilogue, but consider this one done :D:D:D:D:D:D:D**_  
><em><strong>If any of you are in a sharing mood, I'd apperciate a review of the story as a whole if you have time :) *PUPPYEYEEEZZZZ*<strong>_

_**In the words of Tigger, TTFN!**_  
><em><strong>Nat.<strong>_  
><em><strong>xxx<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Music:<strong> _'__Utakata Hanabi'_ - Supercell, _'Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari'_ - Supercell, _'Rainbow'_ - Aqua Timez, _'You'_ - S Club 7, _'Someday Out of the Blue'_ - Elton John.


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